The Power of Good Government: Crime Fighting

Matt Yglesias has a short post highlighting the rapid metamorphosis of the LAPD from a hotbed of corruption and vigilantism into one of the most effective police forces in America. The full article from the New York Times (what happened to the LA Times?) is here. Much of the story is about the leadership ofRead… Read more »

Power in Peril- By Joshoua Jacobs

It’s already mid-August and summertime has embraced the country from east to west. Record high temperatures are a common occurrence no matter what corner of the United States you live in. This means health advisories, problematic effects on any outdoor work and of course a major strain on power grids exists everywhere. In historic termsRead… Read more »

Now That We Have Plain Language: Should We Also Have Plain Processes?

I love the Plain Language Act. Especially the part concerning plain-language websites which gives me plenty of opportunities to advocate the merits of information architecture and user experience (IA and UX). But providing information is only part of what government agencies do. Agencies also provide services. Services such as providing Social Security to licensing vehiclesRead… Read more »

Service Where You Serve: Connecting with Citizens Where They Connect with You

The Customer Service series is supported by RightNow Technologies. To learn more on how to use cloud technology to improve customer service, visit the RightNow resource center today. Check out the GovLoop/RightNow Customer Service Hub to get smart on how to be awesome at customer service ————————— Advances in technology, and the ready adoption ofRead… Read more »

Level 1 Exchange Establishment Grants Released

Deltek Analyst Kate Tussey reports. Hot off the press is the news of $185 million awarded to 13 states and the District of Columbia today under Level 1 Exchange Establishment grant funding. These grants are part of an ongoing series under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to assist states in designing and implementing health insuranceRead… Read more »

Waldo in the Light of Austerity and Federal Debt Crisis, Part 2

“This is Part 2 of a 2 part series. Read Part 1 by clicking the link in the Related Articles box below this article. Jan Kallberg Waldo’s predictions about the future for public administration describe five areas that would be problematic in the future: legitimacy, authority, knowledge, control, and confidence. Legitimacy includes not only thatRead… Read more »

New: Bulk Access to XML Version of Michigan Compiled Laws, by Michael Bommarito

Michael J. Bommarito II of Systematic Global Macro and Computational Legal Studies has posted an XML version of Michigan Compiled Laws — the official codification of Michigan legislation — for bulk download. According to his post, Mr. Bommarito also “improved the underlying data [of the code] by adding tags and correcting indentation as best asRead… Read more »

Kansas rejects $31.5m federal grant for health insurance exchange

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback is rejecting a $31.5 million federal grant intended to support his state’s implementation of federal health care reform requirements. In an announcement Tuesday, the Governor cited the federal deficit as his reason for rejecting money the state applied for just last December. The money was supposed to support integration of stateRead… Read more »

Your Taxpayer Dollar$ at Work: Volume II

Last year I started a series to highlight outrageous cases of waste, fraud, and abuse by the federal government. In the current environment of complete political theatre and legislative dysfunction leading to budget crises, debt ceilings, and continuous resolutions, I can probably write a book with so much material. However, I wanted to focus onRead… Read more »